Skip to main content

Smartphones killing Internet Cafes in Ghana

The use of smartphones among Ghanaians is killing the operations of Internet Cafes in the country, according to the National Communication Authority (NCA).

The regulator of the telecom industry says gradually, internet cafes are reducing in number due to the usage of smartphones by majority of Ghanaians. PaaRock Vanpercy, the Director General of NCA disclosed this at a media workshop in Accra last week. According to him, data penetration is currently about 37%, which indicate an improvement.

Previously, Ghana had a data penetration of 5%. “Thankfully due to the advent of smartphones, which has allowed more Ghanaians hooking on the internet by the use of their smart phones,” he added. Mr. Vanpercy stated that the number of Internet Cafes in Ghana dropped from 35% in 2011 to 20% in 2012, adding that this was a result of many people using smartphones which enable them access to the internet on it.

However, Accra has the majority of the cafes, compared to the few ones in other cities across the country.
Recently, mobile operators are making impact in delivering data services to their customers.

With the advent of cheap mobile phones and mobile data plans, it comes as no surprise that mobile phones are pushing cyber cafes out of business.

Data services are available to many Ghanaians who use smartphones because of third generation (3G) services in Ghana from the mobile phone operators. Of the 37% data penetration for Ghana as of May this year, Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) leads with 63%, Tigo 14%, Vodafone 11%, Airtel 8%, Glo 3% and Expresso with 1%.

However, according to Theodore E. K. Agborli, the Marketing Manager at Busy Internet, the largest Internet Café in Ghana, their operation is going well, even though the number of users who patronize their services have gone down at about 5% progressively. “About 99% of our customers are still coming here and we doing well,” said Agborli.

He noted that what they have observed is the fact that most of their clients use their service for research, printing from the net, filling embassy documents, among others.

Joseph Asante, Caretaker at the Sharpnet Internet café at Osu also said that their customer base has not reduced that much. Even though he refused to mention any figure, he explained that they normally get customers during particular periods of the day. “We cannot get a full house always,” he added.
Story by Yaw Sarpong

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vodafone sells 45% shares in Verizon for US$130 billion

Vodafone has sold its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless to US telecoms group Verizon Communications in one of the biggest deals in corporate history. The US$130 billion (£84bn) deal was announced by Vodafone after the close of trading on the London Stock Exchange. The company will return £54 billion to its shareholders, of which £22 billionn will go to shareholders in the UK. Vodafone will also invest money in its business, with funds earmarked for high speed mobile phone networks. It said that by 2017 its main five European markets would have almost complete 4G coverage. Possibly it would be wrong to carp and wring hands that Vodafone won't be paying a penny of tax to the British taxman” Vodafone group chairman Gerard Kleisterlee said: "The transaction will position Vodafone strongly to pursue our leadership strategy in mobile and unified communication services for consumers and enterprises, both in our developed markets and across our emerging markets businesses." The...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shortage of weighing cards hit major hospitals in Accra

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong- Daily Express There is scarcity of Child Health Records Book (weighing cards), in some major public hospitals in the capital, information reaching the Daily Express indicates. Checks by this paper revealed that while some of the hospitals have being encountering the shortage for about a year now, others started experiencing it six months ago. In place of the Child Health Record Book (weighing card), the nursing mothers are given a single card on which information of children are recorded on it. Those hospitals identified are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle Bu Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Adabraka Polyclinic and the Ridge Hospital. At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the nursing mothers are given yellow cards in place of the weighing cards. The Public Relations Secretariat at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital said such information has not come to their notice and for that matter they cannot comment on it. “We do not have some ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Barbering Salons, bridging the unemployment gap in Ghana

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong Barbering business in Ghana is money making venture, depending on the location of the shop. Various barbering shops scattered across the country charges according to the location of the shop. The nature and sustainability of every barbering shop depends on the location of the shop. The location will determine how much one can charge a customer for barbering his or her hair. Checks indicate that some barbering shops located at Spintex, East Legon and Osu Oxford street charges between GHc15.00 and GHc20.00 per hair cut. At South La Estate, it will cost a customer to pay GHc4.00 for hair cut, while one will have to pay GHc3.00 to barber his or her hair at a place like Nima, Maamobi and Mallam Gbawe. Royal Vulture Executive Barbering Salon is one of the biggest barbering salons one can locate within Accra. One is its shops is located at Madina, near Taxi rank while one is located at Accra New Town, near the Post Office. Customers at Madina pay GHc7.00 ...
7 comments
Read more